Zack Greinke: ‘I could play for the worst team if they paid the most’

More often than not, professional athletes who sign lucrative contracts try to convince us that their decision was not strictly about money. That can be true in some situations, but money is usually the driving force. Dollars and cents were what motivated Zack Greinke to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the right-hander isn’t afraid to admit it.

“It’s obviously the No. 1 thing,” Greinke told Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. “I could play for the worst team if they paid the most. … If the last-place team offers $200 million and the first-place team offers $10, I’m going to go for the $200-million no matter what team it was.”

He also told Heyman that he wasn’t going to lie about it because he’s a bad liar and forgets the lies he told even if he tries. Greinke, who signed a six-year, $147 million deal with the Dodgers, said his decision came down to LA and the Texas Rangers. While the Rangers reportedly offered over $100 million as well, they weren’t willing to include an opt-out clause after three years. Ideally, that opt out clause will allow Greinke to earn even more money.

“The worst comment in the world has got to be when a guy who’s getting $100 million says he wants to ‘take care of my family,'” Greinke added.

His point was that people should be able to take care of their families just as well with a $50 million contract as they would with $100 million. They just want more money if they’re capable of earning it, but who doesn’t?

Does that mean Greinke doesn’t care about winning? Not exactly. It’s easy for him to look back and say he would have signed with a terrible team if they offered more money, because it’s all relative for the most part. Terrible teams tend to not have as much money, which is why they aren’t as good in the first place. LA and Texas are both places that offer the potential to win. Personally, I admire Greinke’s honesty. Whether it has to do with a contract or exploring pompous ways to get to the stadium, it’s nice to hear a professional athlete who is willing to be a straight shooter.